{"id":114075,"date":"2023-10-31T07:00:21","date_gmt":"2023-10-31T11:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/?p=114075"},"modified":"2023-10-27T11:50:45","modified_gmt":"2023-10-27T15:50:45","slug":"3-steps-to-store-small-farm-machines-for-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/3-steps-to-store-small-farm-machines-for-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Steps To Store Small Farm Machines For Winter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Winter is coming, and you\u2019re probably busy preparing your major farm machines for cold and snow<\/a><\/strong>. You\u2019re switching to winter-grade oil in your tractor, mounting a snow blower attachment<\/a><\/strong> on your UTV, installing tire chains<\/a><\/strong> wherever applicable, etc.<\/p>\n

But what about small farm machines? You know, the string trimmer, the leaf blower, the riding lawn mower\u2014machines that won\u2019t be used again until spring. It\u2019s easy to get caught up in other winter preparation and abandon unused machines in a corner of the garage or tool shed. But taking the time to properly prepare these small machines for winter will help ensure they remain in good working order for next year.<\/p>\n

Here are three steps you should take to prepare small farm machines for winter storage.<\/p>\n

1. Remove Batteries<\/h2>\n

Not every small machine will have a battery. Many start via recoil starters. But if you\u2019re putting away your lawn tractor or ATV for the winter, be sure to pull out the battery. Batteries aren\u2019t fond of cold weather<\/a><\/strong> and can even freeze if they aren\u2019t fully charged and\/or temperatures dip too cold.<\/p>\n

Removing batteries and storing them in a warm location for winter will help ensure they\u2019re ready to serve in the spring.<\/p>\n

2. Add a Fuel Stabilizer<\/h2>\n

How long will your small machines be in storage? That\u2019s an important question to ask. Gasoline can start degrading in only a month or two in some circumstances. If you\u2019ll be storing a machine with a gas engine for six months, there\u2019s a chance unused gas in the engine and fuel tank will degrade enough to clog the fuel lines and carburetor.<\/p>\n

You might think, \u201cI\u2019ll just drain the fuel tanks,\u201d but this isn\u2019t the best solution. It\u2019s difficult to get every drop of fuel out of the system, and an empty fuel tank can be prone to condensation, introducing the risk of water corroding your fuel system.<\/p>\n

Instead of draining fuel tanks, try adding a fuel stabilizer instead<\/a><\/strong>. Stabilized fuel can last for a year or more without degrading, so you can safely store unused machines over winter. And so long as you fill fuel tanks almost full before placing machines in storage, you\u2019ll leave hardly any room in the tank for condensation to form.<\/p>\n

Just be sure to mix in the right amount of stabilizer (follow the instructions), then run the engine for a few minutes afterward to let the stabilized fuel work through the engine.<\/p>\n

3. Store out of the Weather<\/h2>\n

If possible, store your small machines in an enclosed shed, barn or garage to keep them dry and reduce unnecessary weathering. Your rototiller might be fine stored under a lean-to near the garden in spring, summer and fall. But if you can bring it inside (and keep it out of drifting snow) during winter, all the better.<\/p>\n

Preparing for winter takes time<\/a><\/strong>, but it\u2019s worth the effort. Think of it this way: going the extra mile to take care of your small machines before winter will make sure you don\u2019t lose time in the spring with dead batteries and clogged-up fuel lines.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Taking the time to properly prepare small farm machines for winter will help ensure they remain in good working order for the next year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":211,"featured_media":114092,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[426],"tags":[11772,11773,11014],"class_list":["post-114075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-equipment","tag-farm-machines","tag-small-farm-machines","tag-winter-preparation"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n3 Steps To Store Small Farm Machines For Winter - Hobby Farms<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Taking the time to properly prepare small farm machines for winter will help ensure they remain in good working order for the next year.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/3-steps-to-store-small-farm-machines-for-winter\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"3 Steps To Store Small Farm Machines For Winter\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Taking the time to properly prepare small farm machines for winter will help ensure they remain in good working order for the next year.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/3-steps-to-store-small-farm-machines-for-winter\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Hobby Farms\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hobbyfarms\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-10-31T11:00:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-10-27T15:50:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/img.hobbyfarms.com\/DJ-JUL-30-240-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"462\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"J. 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